Author: Mark Saldana

As a 51-year-old, I have never read any of the Dog Man books. But that doesn’t matter, as I am tasked with reviewing a movie based on these stories. That said, I had some fun with this movie, discovering the fun comedy and some of the more bewildering aspects of this highly imaginative world. The… Continue reading Movie Review: DOG MAN Is a Cartoonish Affair Which Will Appeal to Children, But Will Fall A Bit Short For The Grownups

I am a big fan of both Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. When I first heard about this comedy movie, I thought it was about time for these two talented actors to perform together. Also, after discovering that filmmaker Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) was attached, I had high hopes for this film. While I… Continue reading Movie Review: YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED Is Often Funny, But Is Often Too Ridiculous For Its Own Good.

Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has remained, in recent years, within a profoundly experimental phase, which is exciting as he continues to play with conventions and cinema tropes and deliver them in some genuinely fascinating ways. His latest film, Presence, presents a haunted house story from the ghost’s perspective. While other filmmakers have attempted this (David Lowery’s… Continue reading Movie Review: Though Not Exactly Original, PRESENCE Delivers An Inventive And Engrossingly Haunting Experience

As the story unfolded and the comedic moments started to hit, there was something very familiar about this movie. And then, when comic/actor Katt Williams shows up, it confirmed exactly what I suspected. One of Them Days is the unofficial offspring of the Friday movies. I am not saying that the film exists in the… Continue reading Movie Review: ONE OF THEM DAYS Revives A Fun But Familiar Comedy Formula

In 2011, college wrestler Anthony Robles won an NCAA National Championship in his weight class for Arizona State University. While this might sound like a standard, uneventful story, the fact is that he accomplished this honor with only one leg. Robles was born with only one leg and had to grow up with this limitation,… Continue reading Movie Review: UNSTOPPABLE Is A Genuinely Inspirational True Story

After filmmaker Leigh Whannell delivered such a great reimagining of Universal’s The Invisible Man, I hoped his take on the Wolf Man would have the same, or even more significant, impact. However, after I came out of the press screening of his latest remake of a Universal monster property, I was utterly disappointed. Though Whannell… Continue reading Movie Review: WOLF MAN Lacks The Necessary Bite To Make It Memorable

Though this movie is fictional, it still rings accurately and genuinely about the immigrant experience of people escaping hardships and atrocities from their homes and seeking the promises of the American dream. Writer/director Brady Corbett and co-writer Mona Fastvold tell the story of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a gifted artisan and architect whose life with… Continue reading Movie Review: THE BRUTALIST Reminds Us That The American Dream Can Be A Nightmare For Immigrants Seeking A Better Life

Writer/director RaMell Ross and co-writer Joslyn Barnes have adapted Colson Whitehead’s novel, The Nickel Boys, into a remarkable and outstanding film finally opening in theaters. I have never previously read Whitehead’s book. Still, after watching the film adaptation, I would love to immerse myself in this story, as Ross, Barnes, the cast, and the crew… Continue reading Movie Review: NICKEL BOYS Reminds Us of The Darker Chapters of Racist America